The Survival of Roanoke AU (Shaudrey)
by sarah-gotdamn-paulson
Summary: Anon Shaudrey prompt about Shelby and Audrey escaping Roanoke and eventually getting together. Shaudrey one-shot.


**Anon request: Shaudrey prompt! They both survive Return to Roanoke and do all the interviews together. Because they have been through so much together they become really close and are there for each other, eventually becoming a couple.**

 **This sounds good but it'll probably have to be a one-shot since it doesn't fit in with my current fic… Hope this is okay!**

 **Rated: M for suicide mention**

The Survival of Roanoke AU 

Shelby and Audrey had been the last survivors of 'Return to Roanoke'. The police had come and the two of them had been wrapped in blankets and taken to an institution. After everything that happened, both of them needed a proper psychological evaluation.

...

Audrey didn't like Shelby and she had made that known from the second she had gotten to know her character. It was different now, though. Now that Shelby was the only living person remaining from the cast of 'My Roanoke Nightmare' she was all Audrey had left.

After everything that had happened, the both of them ended up cowering in the hidden underground room, quivering and whimpering in each others arms. Both of them had been completely traumatised to the point where any reassurance was good enough for them.

When the morning had broken, the two women had been too frightened to emerge from their hiding spot straight away. Both of them had some kind of blood on them; whether it was their own or from one of their friends, they didn't know. Once they heard voices above them they froze. It was almost like a dream. They had heard the police sirens and the cars pulling up. Shelby was still quivering by Audrey's side when Audrey took her hand. "I'll go up, okay?" Audrey had said. Shelby was still injured from taking a cleaver to the back. She nodded, squeezing Audrey's hand before letting go.

Audrey had climbed up to the surface where the police immediately approached. Audrey had told them where Shelby was and how badly she had been injured before being taken to the car. That would be the last time either of them set foot anywhere near that house.

…

Talk shows and reporters were requesting interviews left, right, and centre. The cameras were unavoidable. Shelby and Audrey had spent much more time together than usual. Neither of them could stand being alone for long. Not after everything they had seen and done. They had come to a mutual decision that they would both go to a few interviews. Audrey insisted that they go to more than one. "More people need to know what we've been through." she had said.

Audrey was still mourning the loss of her husband as well as her friends, as was Shelby. Both of them had done things…terrible things. Neither of them were the same as they had been prior to entering the house. Audrey hid her sadness by writing about her experiences in her autobiography. Shelby, on the other hand, wasn't coping nearly as well. Not only had her nightmares gotten worse, but some days she wouldn't be able to take her mind off Matt. She couldn't really remember what had happened. It was like her memory was blurred.

Both Shelby and Audrey had gone through the same counselling program, their extraneous situation and conditions pardoning them of their crimes. This didn't mean they were completely free, though. The two of them had to be reexamined every week until the doctors could be sure that they were both of sound mind.

Shelby wished they had taken her away. She felt like she had died in that house. She wish she had died in that house. Audrey on the other hand, did her best to grow from her experience. She acted stoic despite the pain of her loss. She had loved Rory. Their relationship hadn't been the most stable, mostly because of Audrey's insecurities, but that didn't mean she loved him any less.

…

Audrey and Shelby both attended their interviews. They were usually invited together so that both of them could tell their story. Audrey spoke more than Shelby and she was quick to defend the other woman when the interviewers asked particularly pressing questions. Shelby answered questions slowly, taking the time to fight through her emotions.

Audrey had convinced Shelby to come with her to more and more interviews, and although Shelby was reluctant, going with Audrey was better than being alone. Shelby's anxiety had gotten bad. Audrey had left her alone for a few minutes before coming back to a crying, hyperventilating mess. Shelby couldn't handle it. She had already been through so much and now this was too much.

…

As time passed, Audrey and Shelby had gotten closer. It was hard not to, under the circumstances. Their mental health was slowly becoming more sound. Audrey would have suggested for Shelby to go back home, but she didn't want her to. She needed the company, no matter how depressing it was. Besides, Shelby was her… friend. They had been through too much together to leave each other now. Audrey cared about Shelby. She could see how badly the other woman was suffering, but she couldn't make it better. She could only make it easier.

Audrey had tried her best. She took care of Shelby which prompted her to take care of herself. Their check ups didn't change in frequency although it had been noted that Audrey was recovering faster than Shelby.

…

Shelby's anxiety had gotten better over time. As long as Audrey was in the apartment with her, she was okay. She still thought about Matt, though. She thought about the lives lost. She thought about The Butcher. It was all too much. Her mind felt as though it was swimming and her heart felt shattered. Shelby felt broken. It had been bad enough escaping the first time, but the second time had drained her of her last bit of sanity. She filled Audrey's tub with warm water. She was tired. She was tired of all the interviews. Of people stopping her on the street. Of her mind going to the memory of Matt. She couldn't remember what had happened but in her mind she saw his skull, bloodied and crushed at her feet.

As she slipped into the bath, it was a little too hot. It stung her skin but she didn't care. It would be over soon. She could finally be at peace. Shelby took the razor between her fingers. It was for the best. She was just a dead weight anyway. What was there to live for? Shelby felt hot tears fall from her eyes. She slashed down her forearms and whimpered, waiting for the inevitable. She slowly drifted to sleep as she lost more and more blood.

Audrey came to the bathroom door only moments later. "Shelby?" she had said, knocking on the door. No response. "I really have to use the bathroom. I won't look, I swear." she said, frowning when she still received no response. "Shelby?" Audrey said, opening the door. The second she saw the red she felt her throat dry up. Her actions were a blur. All she remembered was calling 911 and bandaging Shelby's arms as tightly as she could. She was distraught. There was no other way to describe herself after finding Shelby like that.

…

When Shelby woke up in hospital she felt nauseated. She opened her eyes, her vision not as clear as it usually was. She had been given quite the dose of pain killers. Her head lolled slightly as she turned to see the figure sitting beside her bed, resting against it. It was Audrey. Shelby felt the dull ache in her arms. She looked down at the bandages, slowly coming to the realisation that she hadn't died. Shelby began to cry, the sound making Audrey perk up.

"Shelby? What were you thinking?" Audrey asked, her eyes welling with tears. She covered her eyes, dabbing them with some tissues. She had been crying and she looked exhausted. "What the fuck were you thinking?" she repeated, mostly to herself.

Shelby whimpered, crying faintly. "Please let me die." Shelby begged, her words slightly slurred. "Please. Kill me." she said, trying to pull at the bandages but barely being able to move.

"Shelby, no." Audrey said softly. "Please. You have to stay. I need you. You're all I've got." she said, her tears falling freely now.

"You don't like me anyway." Shelby slurred. She didn't know what she was talking about. All she could remember was how nasty Audrey had been on their first night in the house. "There's nothing left."

Audrey shook her head. "Shelby, I've taken you in. I've been letting you stay at my house, in my bed." she pleaded. "I need you."

The doctors were quick to interrupt. They checked all of Shelby's signs before letting her councillor in. He pardoned Audrey from the room, wanting to speak with Shelby alone.

As Audrey went into a waiting room she held her head in her hands. She wasn't as strong as she had made herself out to be. Her mental health may have been recovering, but it was still poor. She could still see Rory strung up in the trees. She could still see Monet's body on a spike. Shelby was the only thing that was familiar to her now. All the networking and connections she had made with her new actor friends were gone. Shelby was the last of them all, not to mention she held a piece of Audrey inside her.

…

Six months had passed since Shelby had left hospital. Shelby was back at home with Audrey, her counselling much more frequent over the past few months. Shelby and Audrey hadn't spoken about what had happened. Not until that day, that is. Shelby hadn't felt comfortable enough to talk about it but now her therapy seemed to be going somewhere. She was in a better place than she was. "I'm sorry." she had said.

Audrey met her eyes. "What for?" she asked.

Shelby looked down at her forearms. "You...I shouldn't have made you deal with that. It was selfish." Shelby replied.

Audrey nodded silently. "Do you really think I don't care about you?" she asked quietly.

"No. I know you care." Shelby said, matching Audrey's tone. "I didn't then, but I do now." she said, smiling slightly at Audrey. "And I care about you." she said, watching Audrey.

Audrey smiled. "You know, I thought I was going to lose you." she said with a teary eyed smile, her voice constricting slightly.

Shelby quickly moved in closer to Audrey. She hugged her tight. "I'm here." she said softly. "I'm here and I'm not leaving. Not yet." she whispered. She thoughtlessly pressed a kiss to Audrey's temple, causing her to stop crying for a moment.

Audrey pulled back to look at Shelby before leaning in and kissing her lips. Shelby was surprised at first but she quickly melted into the kiss.

"Please don't leave me." Audrey whispered, her heart broken at the thought of Shelby dying.

"I won't. I won't. I promise." Shelby said, hugging Audrey tight again. That had been the first time she had seen any real weakness in Audrey.

"I love you." Audrey said, her voice shaky and broken. "Please don't leave." she begged.

Shelby felt tears well in her own eyes. "I...I love you too." she whispered. "I'll never leave. I promise I'll never leave." she repeated, holding Audrey close and cradling her slightly. She hugged her and rubbed her back until she eventually calmed down. "Do you want me to make you something? A hot chocolate or something?" Shelby asked, feeling Audrey's face and gently wiping her tears away.

Audrey shook her head, hugging Shelby tight again. She wasn't ready to let go yet. It had been a year since Roanoke. A year since she had lost Rory and Shelby had lost Matt. She really did love Shelby, and even though her heart bled for Rory, she knew he wasn't coming back.

Shelby held Audrey gently, letting her sit in her lap. "I won't leave." she reassured. "I'm staying. I love you."

...

 **I hope this is okay! Thanks for the prompt! :D Don't forget to review!**


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